One of the first fiction foodie authors I discovered was Diane Mott Davidson and her series of mysteries about a caterer named Goldy Schultz. I loved reading the descriptions of the food the heroine prepared and the lavish parties she catered. The novels are interspersed with numerous recipes and a favorite of mine appeared in Davidson's novel The Main Corpse.

Chocoholic Cookies are double chocolate cookies loaded with chocolate chips and oatmeal. I have made a few changes over the years and have come up with a family favorite cookie. Nothing is better than a good book and a great cookie.

Biggie Chocoholic Cookies
adapted from a recipe in Diane Mott Davidson's mystery novel The Main Corpse.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa mixing until thoroughly combined. The batter will be stiff. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each one. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Add oats, chocolate chips and toffee bits and mix until combined.

Using a 2-inch scoop, drop batter about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 11 - 12 minutes. The cookies will still be slightly soft in the middle. Let cool on pan for 2 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

I read that book about a month ago, and wondered if the cookies were as yummy as they sounded. I enjoyed the descriptions of the food, both in the preparation and the presentation. But I can't say I cared for the story that much - it sounded like an episode of "Murder, She Wrote (ending was too pat).

I made the Sour Cream Cherry Coffee Cake from the book, and found it to be a bit bland. Maybe the blandness was due to the brand of cherry preserves I used (how do you know if they are "best quality", as the recipe says?).